In a curious twist of fate, Carol Duncan, a retired woman from Barberton, Ohio, found herself walking away with a massive $500,000 lottery win after deliberately choosing the same scratch-off ticket as the man in line ahead of her.

The scene unfolded at a Circle K on 5th Street, where Duncan, casually standing behind another customer, noticed him buying a "$500,000 Cashword" ticket. Without hesitation, she announced, “I’m getting the same ticket.” That split-second decision proved life-changing when her ticket revealed the top prize.

"I couldn’t believe it," Duncan shared in disbelief. "I had to check it over and over. At first, I thought I was wrong, but no—it was real." The $10 scratch-off game, which offers just two $500,000 top prizes, delivered one straight into Duncan's hands. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, as she had retired just a month prior.

For the unnamed man in front of her? Well, sometimes timing is everything, and in this case, the jackpot just wasn’t his.

Duncan plans to put her newfound fortune toward purchasing a house, a car for herself, and another for her son. Meanwhile, one final $500,000 prize remains in circulation for the $10 "$500,000 Cashword" game, along with several smaller prizes.

If you’re thinking of playing, the odds of winning any prize are about 1 in 3.69. For Duncan, though, luck was as simple as standing in line at the right moment.